


The Stories on His Skin.

by DocSuess



Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies), Spider-Man - All Media Types, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, Awesome May Parker, BAMF Peter Parker, Boys In Love, Comfort, Dead Ben Parker, First Kiss, Fluff, Harley is a good Boyfriend, Homophobia, Homophobic language (super breifly), M/M, Parley, Past Child Abuse, Past Rape/Non-con, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Peter has tattoos, Quirky Peter Parker, Song: Blackbird (The Beatles), Star Wars References, Tattoo, Tattoo Peter Parker, Tattoos, Tony Stark Acting as Harley Keener's Parental Figure, Tony Stark Acting as Peter Parker's Parental Figure, hot peter Parker, parkner
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-30
Updated: 2020-07-30
Packaged: 2021-03-06 07:22:38
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,762
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25609588
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DocSuess/pseuds/DocSuess
Summary: oo0oo"Peter Parker has many tattoos, Harley Keener just wants to know the story behind each and everyone."oo0ooTW: Homophobic language (super briefly), Homophobia, Past sexual assault of a minor, Past child abuseoo0oo
Relationships: Ben Parker & Peter Parker, Ben Parker/May Parker, Harley Keener & Peter Parker & Tony Stark, Harley Keener/Peter Parker, Peter Parker & May Parker, Peter Parker & Pepper Potts
Comments: 22
Kudos: 280





	The Stories on His Skin.

**Author's Note:**

> Hey Peeps, I finally got around to writing this fic. I thought of this prompt ages ago and I'm really happy I got to write it. This was a challenge but so much fun to write. I hope yall enjoy!

* * *

"Peter Parker has many tattoos,

Harley Keener just wants to know the story behind each and everyone."

* * *

* * *

"Tattoos are the stories in your heart, written on your skin."

~ Charles De Lint

* * *

**The Vibe**

Colors - Halsey

Jocelyn Flores - XXXTENTACION

Baby - Bishop Briggs

Play Date - Melanie Martinez

Wishing Well - Juice WRLD

Now or Never - Halsey

Snowchild - The Weeknd

XO Tour Llif3 - Lil Uzi Vert

Bad at Love - Halsey

Star Shopping - Lil Peep

Youngblood - 5 Seconds of Summer

Young, Dumb, & Broke - Khalid

Lucid Dreams - Juice WRLD

Not Afraid Anymore - Halsey

Falling Down - Lil Peep, XXXTENTACION

Rich and Blind - Juice WRLD

Alphabet Boy - Melanie Martinez

Heartless - The Weeknd

Walls Could Talk - Halsey

Cobain - Lil Peep, Lil Tracy

Life is Beautiful - Lil Peep

_Spotify Link_

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6ulrCk11ch12ttNFHfLK4A?si=-Gkb1jt4TNCqn5Xzr-KBxQ

* * *

On the surface, Peter Parker was an exceedingly innocent teenager- at least from outwards appearances that is what most people assumed.

Though nothing about Peter at first glance particularly screamed hardened teen, so it was a pretty easy assumption to make.

His soft brown hair curled into an innocent- be it perpetually unruly- mop on his head, revealing a few honey-colored highlights that would otherwise be hidden while simultaneously making him seem like he had forgotten to brush his hair that week. Most of the time, he wore skinny jeans paired with an oversized sweater and a particularly ratty pair of black, low top converse. On multiple occasions, Tony had offered to replace said pair, but Peter always refused, saying that he "liked the way that his old pair hugged his feet" - whatever that means. Also, on any given day, no matter the circumstance or occasion, it was a guarantee that Peter was wearing a mismatched pair of colorful and patterned crew socks that absolutely did not match his outfit what so ever.

Peter could be wearing an expensive suit and tie he "borrowed" from Tony (who actually just bought the kid a brand new suit and kept it in his closet for whenever the kid needed it) and he'd still be wearing his staple socks. On multiple occasions, Pepper- or Mrs. Pepper as Peter insisted on calling her- had complimented Peter on how just "utterly dashing" the boy looked in the three thousand dollar Tom Ford suit, only for him to flush a light pink, flash a cheekily smile at the most powerful woman in the world, and then stick out his leg while slightly pulling up his pant leg to show off a bright neon green sock with blue butterflies on it.

"Look at my socks Mrs. Pepper," Peter would cheekily ask while a broad smile, "aren’t they fantastic."

A question which always caused everyone in the room- even the Natasha Romanoff- to smile at the teen's innocence.

Pepper would always say something along the lines of "they are absolutely stunning, Peter" with a glimmering, genuine smile on her face and an amused laugh in her voice.

Something about Peter's face also screamed wholesome. Despite his sharp jawline, his face still held a youthful and carefree quality about it. His skin was smooth and mark-less, free from the stress and worry lines that seemingly plagued the rest of the population. When he was really focused, he would bite the tip of his tongue and furrow his brows in an attempt to concentrate, but even that came off as mirthful and adorable to the rest of the world.

When Peter smiled his boyish innocence was extraordinarily apparent. His smiles, the real full and genuine kind with an open mouth and laughter were more precious than gold. When he smiled Peter's youthful skin wrinkled as one dimple formed on his right cheek, but not the left, as his eyes scrunched up in pure, boundless mirth.

However, despite all of that, it was because of Peter's eyes that most people assumed he was miraculously untouched by society's evils. His eyes were a galaxy of colors, large and mesmerizing. They were a deep, velvety, brown, like melted Hershey's chocolate on a warm summer day, but swirled inside was hints of golden amber and flecks of pure honey. And, when the sun was setting, just as the sky becomes a mosaic of pinks and purples, his eyes transcended description, glistening and shining as though they were ethereal beings with the secret to endless youth. They didn't portray a hint of pain or sorrow, just infinite love and wonder.

They say that eyes are the windows to the soul, if that is true then Peter Parker's eyes were the best deception in the universe. Or perhaps Peter himself was just exceptionally good at only putting what he wanted people to see in front of the windows and keeping the rest hidden away in the dark.

People who actually knew Peter beyond his initial impression knew that he had actually faced more travesty as a kid then one could deem fair for an entire lifetime. For most people, that made his wholesome nature even more miraculous- that despite everything, Peter still had faith in the world.

People forget that just because Peter doesn't show his trauma in scars or haunted eyes or cold attitudes, doesn’t mean that it was never there.

Peter, unbeknownst to the rest of the world, allowed his trauma to manifest on his skin. He allowed his story to be written on his body, like a journal reminding him exactly of where he has been and, more importantly, what he has survived. 

Peter's mind is the author, his skin is the pages, and his tattoos are the words- all of which culminate in the heroic saga and tragic tale that is Peter Parker. 

* * *

The relationship between Peter Parker and Harley Keener happened slowly and all at once. Like when you go on a rollercoaster and in the moment, as you are riding, it feels like it will never end- like you'll just keep moving forever and ever- until you hear the brakes squeal and all of the momentum leaves your body and you realize that the eternity was only a minute and a half- or in Peter Parker and Harley Keener's case, one month.

It took one month from the day Tony introduced the duo to them finally to kiss.

A month may not seem like a very long time but to the boys (and to the rest of the tower who had bets on when the two would finally get together) it was centuries. Decades of polite greetings and mutual pining. Of stolen glances and accidental hand touching. Of cherry red blushes and intense eye contact. It was agonizing for all parties involved.

Harley trusted Peter with the agony of being an openly gay teen in a small southern town after week one.

Peter trusted Harley with his Spiderman secret after one week two.

By the end of week three, Peter and Harley had been caught in bed together after falling asleep while watching Avatar: The Last Airbender on two separate occasions.

Week four was what it finally happen. Harley claims that it was him who initiated it, that the two were in the lab alone and Peter was rambling about how he "sorta, maybe, kinda had a crush" on Harley and was desperately trying- and failing- to ask Harley out on a date and he kissed Peter to shut him up. However, Peter maintains that it was the other way around and that it was Harley who was, in fact, failing at asking Peter out and it was him who kissed Harley to get him to shut up. Regardless of the order, five minutes later, Tony walked in on the two boys, Peter sitting on top of the lab table- the projects they were working on completely forgotten- passionately making out with the one and only Harley Keener, who's hands were placed suggestively on Peter's hips, causing his sweater to rise up just a little.

Tony promptly screamed like a first-year girl scout seeing a scary tree on her first ever camping trip, and dropped the tools that he had stolen from Banner's lab for the two to use.

The boys jumped apart, Peter, rather ungracefully, falling off the lap table which he was perched and stumbling as he turned around to look at the man who was gaping at them like a fish.

Ironic that Tony Stark, the one person in the entire tower who fervently believed that the two boys were not pining for one another and were in fact just good friends, would walk in on them making out for the first time.

Harley had a smirk on his face, while Peter was beet red, though both boys were disheveled with swollen lips. Peter's sweater was untucked and rumpled and Harley's hair looked as though he just went inside one of those tornado simulators they have at arcades.

The three just stood and stared at each other as the tension in the air became palpable. Then, in an instant, Tony just threw his hands up in the air in defeat while rolling his eyes, turned around, and walked out of the room muttering something along the lines of, "Idiot boys, defiling my lab" and "Fuck, now I owe Natasha fifty bucks."

The boys remained still until Tony was completely out of range and Harley burst out laughing. The laughing prompted Peter to turn and look at the boy (a.k.a the love of his life) in horror and confusion.

"Oh my god!" Harley laughed out, clutching his diaphragm, "His face! His scream!" Harley turned and looked at Peter, his face red from the make-out session and the laughing fit, and walked towards the boy still chuckling and smiling, he snorted, "You falling off the table."

Peter lightly slapped his chest in mock offense, he tried to maintain a serious composure, but as soon as he began to talk a smile broke out on his face. "That was horrifying, not hilarious," Peter chuckled out.

Harley just smiled down at Peter, his hands had found their way down to his hips again as Peter rested his palms on Harley's chest. Harley leaned down and placed a kiss on Peter's soft lips- it wasn't like their kiss before, it was softer, gentler. Their first kiss was desperate, it was a kiss between two people who had been touched starved for too long, it was hot and passionate and filled with the sweet relief of finally giving in to temptation. This one was the kiss between two people who have eternity together. The kind you give your significant other before you leave for work, the kind that was completely natural and habitual. It tasted like honey and late spring days, when all the flowers are in bloom and the sky is completely clear.

When the kiss finally ended, they stared into each other's eyes, consuming each other's souls and becoming fully engulfed in the others aura. After a moment Peter chuckled a little and gave Harley a goofy smile, "Dinner?"

Harley let out a short chuckle and matched Peter's smile. He faked consideration and contemplation, jokingly furrowing his brows, and then responded "Yeah, I could eat."

Peter shook his head, chuckling, and untangled himself from Harley's arms. The pair walked out of the lab, proudly holding hands as they did. Both knowing that it was the start of the relationship of a lifetime.

* * *

After that, Peter and Harley began officially dating. Tony had taken the liberty of telling all of the Avengers, Pepper, and May, about the quote-unquote "borderline pornographic scene" that he walked in on which "traumatized him for life," so the new couple didn't have to tell anyone but Ned and MJ who were just as supportive as the Avengers. Ned literally hugging the both of them in excitement and MJ just cracking a small smile and giving them a deadpanned "Finally" (which, for MJ, was basically the equivalent of Ned's reaction).

Peter found out that Tony had told May about his new relationship status when he came home from patrol after Harley and his first date to find a box of condoms of his bed with "Congratulations :)" written in May's signature cursive on a bright yellow post-it note. Peter just flushed red and awkwardly shoved the box under his bed while noting to avoid May when she comes home from her night shift tomorrow morning.

After their passionate make-out session and subsequent first date, their relationship evolved. Before they were friends, but now that their feelings were out in the open, the pair only grew closer. They could be more real which each other now that they didn't have to worry about the other not reciprocating their feelings.

They went on more dates and annoyed the hell out of Tony on lab days with their "love-struck stares" (Tony's words).

Peter was technically the first one to say "I love you," though Peter maintains the claim that, half asleep after a day of crime-fighting doesn't count as saying it. So, by that logic, Harley said it first after a particularly romantic date in Central Park.

But it is still up for debate. 

* * *

The first time Harley saw Peter shirtless- and, subsequently, his tattoos for the first time- was a casual Friday night. The Avengers were out on a mission and May was working the night shift. Peter had come over after patrol and the two had just planned to watch a movie and fall asleep together

Harley hadn't even realized that he had never seen his boyfriend shirtless until he, well, saw him shirtless. Every time Harley had seen him, Peter always had a shirt on. In fact, as far as Harley knew, Peter always wore a long sleeve shirt, no matter what. Though it should also be noted that Harley only met Peter for the first time in November, so he no idea how he dressed in the summer, but as far as he had seen, Peter only wore long sleeves. Even when he trained, Peter wore a long sleeve dry-fit shirt. He hadn't really wondered about it though, Harley had just assumed Peter was someone who ran cold.

When Peter swung through the window Harley had left open for him into Harley's bedroom, his suit was covered in dirt and grime. Harley actually wrinkled his nose at the sight of him.

Peter gave a sheepish laugh and pulled off his mask and ran his fingers through his hair, which was covered in sweat, "Sorry," he paused and looked Harley up and down, "There was an apartment fire."

Harley chuckled. He walked over to Peter, placed his hands on Peter's hips, and kissed him, "Its okay." Harley murmured. Harley looked down at his hand which had black marks of soot on it from the soot and smile humorously, "Do you wanna maybe shower and borrow some of my clothes though?"

Peter groan and leaned his head into Harley's shoulder and nodded, "Please," he mumbled.

Harley gestured his head towards the bathroom, "There are towels in the closet and I'll grab you something to change into."

Peter smiled thankfully at him as he walked over to his draws and pulled out some clothes as Peter tiredly walked over the bathroom in search of a towel.

Peter was standing in the doorway of the bathroom with a towel in hand when Harley had finally found some clothes that would fit him. He walked over and handed the clothes to Peter who looked at him with wide, thankful eyes.

"I adore you," Peter said matter-of-factly.

The teen just hummed in response.

Peter stood on the balls of his feet and gave Harley a peck on the lips.

Rolling his eyes, Harley just said, "Go. Shower. De-grime, or whatever."

Peter smiled and turned around, closing the bathroom door as he did.

Harley sat on his bed, playing on his phone as some unknown show played in the background as Peter showered.

When Harley finally heard the shower shut off and the bathroom door open, he didn't look up as he was finishing a text message to his sister who was debating with him over whether John Mulaney actually killed Princess Diana. Instead, he joked, "Finally done in there Princess Ariel?"

Peter rolled his eyes, "Har-har, very funny." Peter started to dry his hair using his towel.

Harley finally looked up, as he did so he had begun to make a quip about how Peter was in there for like forty minutes but Harley cut himself off as he had finally looked up and had seen Peter. Peter had turned away from his boyfriend as he dried his hair giving Harley a full view of his back. He immediately noted three things, one, Peter was wearing his sweatpants and only his sweatpants, two, that Peter was ripped to all hell. Sure, Harley knew that he had super strength and that he was definitely strong from being Spiderman, but he never really put two and two together that that would mean Peter would be ripped. And three, Peter had a massive tattoo on his back. It was a large and intricate, black and white tattoo of space. The stars started at the peak of his right shoulder and traveled down his back getting larger and moving diagonally as it did so. There were two large planets and meteors that started just under his right shoulder blade and spanned most of his back. The tattoo, if you could call it that (it was more of a painting than a tattoo) started on the upper right of his back and ended on his middle/lower left. It started small, then got wider as it went down and across his back. It was fully shaded with black and white giving it a classy and breathtakingly beautiful vibe. It obviously had taken weeks to complete and was professionally done by someone incredibly talented. Harley also noted that he found all three of these things extremely attractive (especially the tattoo) and it left him speechless and ogling at his boyfriend.

"Do you have any idea how long it takes to get the smell of smoke out of your hair?" Peter questioned, his back still turned and oblivious to his boyfriend's ogling. Peter finished drying his hair, dropped the towel in the hamper in the corner of the room, and turned around, finally noticing Harley's face, which held a look of shock and surprise.

If Harley thought Peter's back was hot, when he turned around Harley came face to face with heaven- or maybe the personification of temptation. The galaxy tattoo which he assumed ended, actually wrapped around his torso, across his right hip, and continued, presumably, down the front of the right side of his pelvis, but the sweatpants he was wearing left Harley to have to imagine the rest of the tattoo. Harley's eyes traveled upwards slowly glancing over Peter's defined abs and pecks. Harley noted there were other tattoos, none as large as the galaxy one, but all just as curious. There was some sort of writing over his heart as well as some writing on his rib cage on the left side. There was a design just under his right collar bone as well as something on his right bicep and left forearm. Finally, Harley's eyes reached Peter's who was staring at him with eyebrows raised and his cheeks were a little flushed.

There was a beat of silence and then Peter spoke up, flustered, "um, there, uh," he pointed vaguely back at the bathroom, "you didn't give me a shirt." He nervously ran his hand through his damp curls.

Harley gave the extremely intelligent answer of, "Oh."

Peter nodded awkwardly while pursing his lips.

After another tense beat, Harley seemingly snapped out of his stupor, "Oh, um here let me grab you one." Harley moved to get up, but Peter waved him off.

"It's fine," Peter said causally as he plopped himself down on the bed, a wave of confidence washing over him. Peter had the unfortunate habit that when he was tired- or in this case exhausted- all of his normal inhabitations went out the window and he often ended up saying whatever the hell came to his mind, regardless of the consequences. At this very moment, Peter felt dead on his feet which explained his uncharacteristic follow up of, "besides, I like watching you check me out.".

"I- I was not, -I," Harley stammered out, "was not checking you out."

Peter snorted as he settled into the bed, "No of course not," he quipped as he spoke through a yawn.

Harley lightly slapped the teen's bare chest in mock offense. Peter rolled his eyes and glanced at the television- obviously trying to change the conversation as he felt his sudden bought of suave confidence begin to fade and the exhaustion from patrol hit, "What are we watching?"

"Fuck if I know." Harley shrugged as he pulled Peter in closer. His arm over Peter's shoulders, he leaned in and placed a gentle kiss on his lips. Peter melted into Harley's embrace, his eyes fluttering shut.

"Well," Peter mumbled as he spoke, "I'm down for anything as long as-"

Harley cut Peter off, "As long as it doesn't have spiders, I know ya' big baby."

Peter groaned and rolled over so he was on his stomach with his head resting on Harley's warm chest, "'m not a baby," Peter weakly defended.

Harley gave the teen a once over, he was about three seconds away from fully passing out on top of Harley- not that he particularly minded- "Clearly," He said sarcastically, knowing Peter was going to be too tired to keep the conversation going. Harley ran his fingers through Peter's damp hair as he watched him doze off into a deep sleep. Harley knew that Peter was going to apologize in the morning for falling asleep but Harley knew that nobody in the world deserved sleep more. Peter ran himself empty all day, every day, carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders, so watching Peter sleep brought him more joy then Peter could ever understand.

This was not the first time that Harley stayed up and watched him sleep, it was a chronic side effect of being a significant other of the superhero. He often joked with himself that Pepper, Laura Barton, and he should start a club. This was, however, the first time Harley had the privilege of watching Peter sleep while he was shirtless. He watched as his bare chest steadily rose and fell and all of the usual tension that Peter carried visibly melted away. When he knew for a fact that Peter was asleep, Harley moved his hand away from Peter's curls and down to his right shoulder where his galaxy tattoo started. He gently rubbed his thumb over that stars and was surprised to notice that underneath the stars there were a few large circular pumps, about a quarter-inch wide, hidden underneath the stars. To Harley, they felt almost like burns or scars, but he couldn't really tell. It definitely piqued his interest because, as far as he knew, Peter couldn't scar- not with his healing factor being as effective as it was.

Harley also got a glance at the design on Peter's left shoulder, it was an incredibly detailed Millennium Falcon surrounded by some deep colored roses. It was extremely nice, based off of the linework Harley assumed that it was done by the same artist who did Peter's galaxy tattoo. Harley gently ran his hand over this tattoo, as well, he didn't feel any of the marks like he did on the other one but he did notice that there was a small date on the bottom of the tattoo that read 11/27/08.

Harley had a million questions swirling around his head. Why that date? Why the galaxy? What were his other tattoos? Did they have any significance? Harley really wanted to pry. His desire for information- especially that of a personal nature- was one of the many traits he shared with Tony, but Harley could also tell from the blush Peter acquired when he noticed he was checking out his tattoos that he wasn't fully comfortable talking about them.

He let out a heavy sigh as he softly caressed Peter's cheek with his hand then moved back to playing with his drying hair. Harley knew that Peter would eventually tell him about them, but that didn’t stop Harley's mind from coming up with exceedingly creative (and occasionally dirty) fantasies about Peter's tattoos and what they meant.

He fell asleep dreaming about the stories that Peter had felt compelled enough to permanently inscribe on his skin.

* * *

After that night, anytime Peter and Harley were together, Harley always found himself staring in wonder at Peter's torso. He desperately wanted to know the story behind the tattoos. Peter and he would be in the lab and Harley would find himself just staring at the sleeves of Peter's sweaters or gazing at Peter's back with such intensity it looked lie Harley believed that the secret to life was hidden underneath the folds of Peter's sweater.

Harley had hoped Peter would tell him about them, or at the very least mention them, but he never did. After that night, Peter just went on with their relationship like there was absolutely nothing to talk about. Like he didn't just reveal half of an earth-shattering secret to Harley.

On multiple occasions, Harley had resolved himself that he was going to ask about the tattoos. He practiced what he was going to say in the mirror and imagined it over and over again in his head, yet for some inexplicable reason, whenever he was face to face with Peter, he never could get the words out. He would just gape like a fish for a moment before sighing and saying something along the lines of "Nevermind, I forgot."

It was agonizing.

Harley thought he was going to explode from the sheer volume of questions swirling around his mind.

He would fall asleep wondering and thinking about the ink. On occasion, he would become so consumed in thought, even sleep was put on the back burner. On those nights, his mind would just spiral, deeper and deeper until Harley inevitably hit the small hint of hurt in his soul that always sparked when he thought about the tattoos.

On those late nights, he often thought about how had bared every inch of his soul to Peter over the course of their relationship. How he told him about how much it stung when the kids at school called him a fag and how he shattered when his mother told him she "wouldn't allow him to continue his heathen lifestyle in her house."

Harley had told Peter… everything. Everything.

Doubt consumed Harley were he spiraled on those exceedingly lonely nights. He had thought Peter had told him everything as well- he knew about the fear he felt fighting the Vulture, about his guilt for Ben dying- but, then he also had these massive secrets that Harley didn't know a single thing about. That fac more often than not lead Harley to the most terrifying thought he'd ever had, maybe he was wrong about how much Peter valued their relationship. When he laid awake, staring at his blank ceiling, Harley had the dreadful and nagging thought that maybe, just maybe, Peter didn't love him as much as he loved Peter.

He always shoved this thought away, the rational part of his mind told him that Peter wholeheartedly adored him and that the tattoos were just one, microscopic thing. But on those nights, Harley couldn't deny that the doubt and fear and loneliness seemed all-consuming.

But, nevertheless, Harley persevered. He chalked those thoughts to just being foundationless doubts, stemming from his tendency to want to destroy anything that was good for him before they have the chance to hurt him stemming from his deep-seated abandonment issues.

So, he marched onward and resigned himself to the fact he might never understand the ink on Peter's skin.

* * *

The first time Harley and Peter had sex was… infinite.

Which is to say that everything outside of them- superheroes, society, time, and everything and anything in-between- faded away, leaving just the two of them in infinity.

An air of desire and passion surrounded them as they were consumed by the soft touches of boundless adoration.

They were lilacs in a spring field and clouds in a windless sky.

Soft and tender and completely oblivious to anything but each other, it was more than anything either of them had imagined.

There was no shame or anxiety, just each other.

It was pure and unfiltered ecstasy.

They laid together after their high, like astronauts returning to earth, tangled in the sheets, both consumed by the fading feeling of the other's passionate touch.

Harley's right arm was wrapped underneath Peter's neck and laid rested on the upper left side of his chest where Peter absent-mindedly played with Harley's fingers as he stared in bliss at the ceiling. Harley's stared at the tattoo of the Millennium Falcon on Peter's upper left arm, his thumb gently tracing the lines of the roses.

"Ya know," Peter pursed his lips as he interrupted their fading, post-coital bliss, "you can ask about them."

Peter's eyes remained trained on the ceiling, although he wasn't really looking at it, he was more looking through it. He spoke again before Harley had a chance to find the words the respond, "The tattoos I mean." Peter gulped, "I can feel you staring at them, even when I'm wearing a shirt."

Peter paused and rolled over so he was facing Harley, who was wide-eyed and in shock. Peter locked eyes with him, his eyes holding a look of sincerity and passion in them, "I've been waiting for you to ask about them for weeks."

Harley gulped and paused for a moment, then he spoke, "I thought-" his lips pursed, "I thought you didn't want to talk about them."

"Harley," Peter said seriously, "I want you to know every last thing about me, just like I want to know every last thing about you."

Peter hesitated for a moment, "I just," he propped himself up a little more, "I don't talk about them much- well actually, I don't talk about them at all, so it is a little weird for me to just strike up a conversation about them. But, I should've just told you about them they're-"

"Peter" Harley cut him off as he was starting to ramble. He sat up and moved so that his back was leaning against his headboard, he sighed and ran his hand through his messy hair, "I should've asked about them, I was curious and I should've asked. But," He looked over Peter who had also sat up, "if you don't want to talk about them, you don't have to."

"No, I- I want you to know," Peter said determinedly. Then, he did something that Harley did not expect at all, Peter moved and climbed into Harley's lap, straddling him. Habitually, Harley's hands went to Peter's hips, but Peter gently grabbed his left hand and laid it over his heart and subsequently the tattoo that was over it. Harley looked searchingly at Peter whose eyes were gently shut as he embraced Harley's touch. He took a deep breath in and then let a shaky breath out as his eyes fluttered open to meet Harley's.

"Peter," Harley tried to speak up to tell him he was fine not knowing, but then Peter began to speak.

"This was the first one I ever got. " Peter's hand was rested over Harley's as his thumb rubbed the tattoo, which he could now also tell was three sets of dates, the kind you see on tombstones with the birthdate a dash and then the death date. Peter looked up at the ceiling as Harley looked intensely at the tattoo. "I got it when I was fourteen… right after-" Peter's voice cracked. He took a sharp breath in and shook his head with his lips tightly sealed. "The top one," he began again, "is my mom, t- th-" he licked his lips, "T-he middle is my dad, and, um, the bottom one is B-Ben."

Peter's lungs were on fire and his eyes burned as he willed tears not to form and he mentally begging himself to stop stuttering.

Harley removed his hand from the tattoo and caressed Peter's cheek. Peter leaned into it softly, letting it ground him.

"Peter," Harley's voice shook as he spoke, "y-you don't have too-" He looked desperately at Peter. He had his eyes shut and his hand was placed gently over the one of Harley's that was caressing his cheek, he shook his head no softly.

He had to keep going, if for no other reason then to finally be relieved of the weight the tattoos carried.

Peter pulled Harley's hand off his cheek and move it down to the quote he had tattooed on his rib cage. It was two lines long and written in neat and perfect cursive. Harley murmured what it said under his breath, "One must consider that great responsibility follows inseparably from great power."

Peter let out a breath and then spoke, "This was the second one I got- God, Ben used to say that to me all the time. Its, uh, originally from Voltaire I think but, God, I hated it growing up." Peter let out a wet laugh, "Any time I did anything, he would say that fucking quote at me. 'Peter, you're the captain of the Mathletes, you have to remember great power, great responsibility.'" Peter imitated Ben's voice in a mindless joking matter. He was staring at Harley's hand and the tattoo thought Harley could tell that he was actually years behind him reliving the memory.

"I- I didn't understand it for a really long time. Even when I got these powers, I- I didn't," He shook his head dejectedly, "But then I was in the shower watching Ben's blood run down the drain and it-" Peter's body shook as tears welled up in his eyes, "God, it was all I could hear." Peter sighed and looked up at Harley, "And then Spider-man was born."

Harley wanted to say something. Anything. But there was nothing he could think of to provide him any comfort. His heart broke to see Peter like this, yet still, Peter pushed through, he moved Harley's hand up to his shoulder where the galaxy tattoo began. Harley could feel the mysterious scars under his fingers.

Peter squeezed his hand, looking for what Harley could only assume to be some reassurance. Harley could feel Peter's body trembling and he could see tears accumulating on his long eyelashes. Peter buried his chin and the side of his face into Harley's hand and looked down.

Peter tried to compose himself for a moment and then spoke, "Uh, wh-when I-" He took another breath then started again this time he spoke slowly, carefully thinking out each word and actively trying not to stutter, "When I was eight, I- I used to have a babysitter wh-who would watch me wh-wh-when both May and B-Ben h-ad night shifts."

Harley tried to rack his mind to figure out where Peter was going with this.

A tear finally fell and landed on Harley's hand.

"H-He," Peter's who body heaved, "r-raped me." Tears freely flowed down his face as Harley brought his other hand up to Peter's face. Peter flinched a little at the initial touch, but then embraced it. "H-He used to burn-rn me with his cig-cigarettes all over m-my b-back."

Peter was fully sobbing. His chest heaved as he leaned forward and rested his head on Harley's shoulder. Harley shut his eyes to stop himself from crying as well, he rested one hand on Peter's shoulder and brought the other hand up to Peter's hair and played with his curls while he cried. He didn't know what to say, he couldn’t understand why the universe would allow someone like Peter to go through so many hardships.

Harley racked his brain looking for something to comfort him with. The only thing Harley could think of was the song his father used to sing to him when he had nightmares as a kid.

Harley leaned down and began softly whispering- half speaking half-singing- in Peter's ear as he cried, "Blackbird singing in the dead of night. Take these broken wings and learn to fly."

They sat like that for a while, Peter slowly recovering as Harley sang. Finally, after working his way through Blackbird two and a half times, Harley felt the weight on his shoulder leave. He looked into Peter's eyes, which were red and wet and consumed with pain.

"P-Peter," breathed out, he placed both of his hands on Peter's cheeks, "I…" Harley trailed off. There were no words.

Peter took a few deep breaths and then grabbed one of Harley's hands from his face. He placed a gentle kiss on his palm and then he moved and put Harley's hand on the Millenium Falcon tattoo on his upper arm.

"No," Harley shook his head, "Its- you-," he let out a breath, "You don't have to Peter."

"Yes, I do," Peter said, his voice hoarse and full of emotion. "I want you to know. I need you to know."

"You don't need to bare your entire soul to Peter for me to love you. Especially if it hurts you this much."

"Yes, I do."

Harley went to protest, but Peter cut him off, "I want to."

Peter went on to explain the three tattoos that were left. He told Harley about how the one on his upper arm was a reminder of one of the best memories of his life. It was Thanksgiving of 2008 and Peter was upset because May had to work, so she wouldn't be there. They never had much money, so they could never afford the traditional Thanksgiving meal, so instead on Thanksgiving, they would build a giant fort in the Livingroom and they would eat ice cream before eating a dinner of French toast while watching Charlie Chaplin movies. Peter explained how Ben saw how upset Peter was so he single-handedly built the best pillow fort eight-year-old Peter had ever seen- incorporating all four of the kitchen table's chairs and six blankets- and bought Peter three pints of the high-quality Ben and Jerry's ice cream. Peter was too sad to watch the traditional Chaplin movies so instead Ben said he'd play a movie that, according to him, quote-unquote "changed his entire world-view." Ben then played Star Wars IV: A New Hope.

Peter then moved his hand to the tattoo on his opposite forearm. The tattoo was a tree at first glance, but when you looked closer, you could see that the trunk of the tree was shaped like a double helix. The roots of the tree started at his wrist and grew up from there covering his entire forearm. Peter told Harley that was an homage to his parents' work in genetics.

Peter's last tattoo was the one on his collar bone. There were two vines of flowers, one was of lilies and the other had sunflowers, they were wrapped each other and intertwined. According to Peter, sunflowers were his mother's favorite, and lilies are May's.

By the time Peter was done, he wasn't crying anymore, though, he was speaking softly in a near-whisper. He was also directly at Harley as he examined each tattoo and his face was tear-stained. After a few moments of silence, Harley looked away from the tattoo and made eye contact with Peter, if anyone else were to look at Peter at this moment, they would've said he was a mess, but all Harley could see was the complete and utter peace and weightlessness that radiated off him.

"They're beautiful," Harley said firmly and sincerely.

Peter placed both of his hands on Harley's cheeks and pulled him into a firm, passionate kiss, for once in his life feeling completely at peace.

* * *

A few weeks following that night, Peter announced to Harley that he got another tattoo and then pulled down his shirt collar to reveal a new tattoo on his left collar bone, opposite to the flowers.

Harley smiled when he saw what the design was, Peter's new tattoo was of a flock of birds. More specifically it was a flock of Blackbirds.

* * *

"My body is my journal, my tattoos are my stories"

~ Johnny Depp

* * *

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you liked it!  
> I am debating on writing a sequel to this fic but idk.  
> It was a hoot and a half to write!  
> HMU on Tumblr @Jamie-Suesser  
> Also join the Parkner Discord server: https://discord.gg/xzRsEK
> 
> PLEASE COMMENT!! I LOVE HEARING FROM Y'ALL!


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